Hands-on classroom programs designed to help students explore biology, ecology, cultivation, and the living systems beneath our feet.

Fungi-Based STEM Education for Classrooms

Indoor scene with shelves and tables filled with plastic bags containing rocks or minerals, a person inspecting items, and large windows in the background.
Various rocks and fungi inside a grow tent, under fluorescent grow lights on white shelving units.

M.E.F.T. Labs: Bringing Mycology to Life in Your Classroom

Educational poster with colorful text and instructions about mushroom cultivation, including steps like planning, sterilization, inoculation, incubation, fruiting, harvesting, and final product, along with images of pink oysters mushrooms.

M.E.F.T. Labs brings hands-on fungi programs to K-12 classrooms — grow kits, guided lessons, and real living systems that make biology, ecology, and sustainability tangible for students.


NGSS-Aligned, K-12

Our curriculum aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards, so educators can integrate mycology directly into existing science frameworks. Programs cover all three NGSS dimensions:

Disciplinary Core Ideas: fungi's biological structures, life cycles, and role as decomposers in nutrient cycling; connections between biological processes and Earth's systems; hands-on experimentation and problem-solving through cultivation.

Science & Engineering Practices: asking questions, running investigations, analyzing data, and building explanations.

Crosscutting Concepts: patterns, cause and effect, and systems thinking within fungal ecosystems.

Beyond K-12

What Students Learn

Beyond K-12: College and University Applications

  • M.E.F.T. Labs extends its educational impact to higher education, offering programs and resources for college and university settings. Our initiatives support academic institutions in establishing and integrating mycology into diverse curricula, from environmental science and biology to sustainable agriculture and entrepreneurship.

    We facilitate:

    Applied Mycology Research: Support for student and faculty research projects focusing on fungal applications in bioremediation, sustainable food systems, and biotechnology.

    Mushroom Farm Development: Guidance and resources for colleges interested in developing on-campus mushroom farms for educational purposes, research, or sustainable food production.

    Interdisciplinary Studies: Integration of mycology into programs exploring ecological restoration, plant pathology, and the broader impacts of fungi on ecosystems.


    Career Pathways: Exposure to career opportunities in mycology, including research, cultivation, and environmental consulting, preparing students for future roles in a growing field.


Let’s Teach Together